The Fourth Law of Thermodynamics vs The dawn
by cosipotente
Summary: They had spent a whole month saving up for this date; Taiga mostly avoiding Maji Burger as if it had the plague and packing his own lunches. Every burger not eaten had been worth each one of Kuroko's small smiles.


When Taiga stumbles out of the Bee Tower ride, he hunches over, hands on his knees, and takes a deep breath. The world stops spinning enough for him to look over at Kuroko, the other male also looking a little sick around the edges.

They smile at each other, blushing faintly.

Warmth flutters through Taiga. He thinks the date—their first—is going great, and if the way Kuroko actually smiles at him is any indication, he also feels the same way.

They had spent a whole month saving up for this date; Taiga mostly avoiding Maji Burger as if it had the plague and packing his own lunches. Every burger not eaten had been worth each one of Kuroko's small smiles.

"What should we do next?" Taiga asks once he decides his stomach contents aren't going to spill out of his mouth. They had met up at Maji Burger to catch a small lunch. He had restrained himself and eaten only five burgers, a decision he slightly regretted when the little houses on the Bee Tower started spinning.

Kuroko regards their map, blue brows furrowing as he picks out their next destination.

Taiga's smile goes unnoticed, but he doesn't mind. Kuroko's inattention gives Taiga ample time to commit to memory a side of Kuroko he doesn't get to see often. Dressed in simple, baggy shorts, a long sleeve shirt with a hooded vest, and a stylish fedora he paints a handsome image. Kuroko is more chic than Taiga would have given him credit for.

He discreetly glances down at himself momentarily. Being too tall and broad shouldered to really fit into anything stylish, he had dressed casually. A black button down over a red t-shirt and his school pants is the best he could do.

"Misemonogoya," Kuroko says simply after a few minutes of perusing the map.

Taiga scratches his head, a little bewildered. He didn't think viewing old Japanese art appealed to Kuroko but he doesn't say anything; it could be an opportunity to learn things about Kuroko that have nothing to do with basketball.

"Lead the way," he replies but Kuroko doesn't step forward. He instead moves closer to Taiga, connecting them at their pinkies. Taiga's face burns hot enough to start a fire but he doesn't pull away, just walks with Kuroko at his side.

In his head, Taiga tries to work out questions that he can ask Kuroko when they go through the exhibit. Do you like art? What sort of art? Who is your favorite artist? His only apprehension is that Kuroko will ask him the same things. He knows nothing about art aside from the few manga that he reads occasionally. He continues to think, wondering what sort of questions he can ask that could possibly lead them—

Taiga walks right into someone else's back. The shock of green hair on the person's head keeps his apology lodged in his throat. A fleeting thought of _this is bad_ goes through Taiga's mind when he meets Midorima's sharp gaze over the rim of his sunglasses.

_This is very bad_ he thinks, because if looks could kill, the glare he gets from Midorima could have buried him ten times over.

It gets worse when Kise, who is still recognizable despite his "disguise" of glasses and a fedora, suddenly appears at Midorima's side.

A tense, silent minute or so goes between them before Kise and Kuroko speak at the same time. Kise's voice is loud and surprised where Kuroko's is soft and blank.

"You're dating," they say.

Taiga fights back a blush, trying to look just as cool and unaffected as Midorima. He's surprised by Kuroko's statement, though. Kise and Midorima look more like they are hanging out rather than dating. Neither hold hands or stand particularly close to each other and the pinched look on Midorima's face makes it seem more like he was dragged along.

Kise claps his hands excitedly before draping himself on Kuroko. It's a normal occurrence, Kise touching Kuroko in someway, whenever they happen to cross paths with the blond, but it never fails to make Taiga's jaw clench.

"Double date with Kurokocchi!" He cheers.

Panic grips Taiga lightening fast; he barely catches himself from violently tugging Kuroko away from Kise. He's saved by Midorima whose face goes thunderous for a split second before his cool mask slips back in place. He tugs Kise's wrist, giving a curt jerk until the blond is no longer wrapped around Kuroko.

"Midorimacchi," Kise half whines, half pouts in away that is more disgusting than endearing.

The green haired male gives Kuroko a scornful once over and Taiga's fist itches to plant itself in Midorima's face. But Midorima does nothing further, just pulls Kise along as he walks away.

Taiga heaves a sigh of relief just as the sky opens up, releasing a steady downpour without warning.

_"Due to an advisory of heavy rain, the park will be closing. We apologize for this inconvenience."_

Taiga stands frozen. Waves of injustice and anger and disappointment roll through him. Why? Why today? Why did they have to run into Midorima and Kise? Why did it have to rain? Taiga scrubs at his face, uncaring of the water sluicing down his skin or the possibility of a cold. He's beyond frustrated.

Kuroko's hand finds the small of Taiga's back, warm and welcome against the wet coldness of his shirt.

"We better go." He says. Taiga looks at him, blue eyes neither angry nor disappointed, and a little of his frustration evaporates.

They file out with everyone else. Kuroko's pinky finds his again and more of Taiga's irritation disappears. In fact, the more they walk together, the better he feels. When they are out of the park's gate, he gives Kuroko a smile.

Kuroko exchanges his pinky for his hand, fingers lacing with Taiga's. He blushes and keeps his eyes on Kuroko's sopping blue hair as they walk to the station. (In the back of Taiga's mind, he notes that it's true what Kuroko had said about knowing how to act on a date.)

A phrase Taiga had once heard while in America stirs in the back of his mind, something about darkness and dawn. He can't really pull the words out from the dredges of his memory.

The quick—nearly too quick for Taiga's taste —peck of Kuroko's lips against the back of his hand as they board the train helps the proverb plant itself firmly at the forefront of his mind.

It's always darkest before the dawn.

And Kuroko is the sun.

* * *

**Note: **

((So, this was supposed to be for the Kuroko no Basuke Anon Meme but I dropped out of it.))

I feel like this didn't turn out very good. I'm not good at characterizing Midorima; mostly because I don't really like him. Not that my characterization of any of the guys is any better.

The park for the setting is Hanayashiki. :3

If anyone is curious about the title, Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) is sometimes coined the fourth law of thermodynamics. Though, technically, there is no fourth law of thermodynamics. And "The dawn" is reference to "it's always darkest before the dawn."


End file.
